OUR HISTORY

 

The McAlmont Church of Christ had its beginning on November 5, 1959 when a group of eight women along with Johnie and Patsy Lawrence began to meet in the home of Sis. Blanche Phillips. After five or six months the Phillips family moved to Lonoke, Arkansas and so did the young congregation. A short time later, the group acquired the use of the Mason Hall in McAlmont and began meeting there. Within a year, the congregation grew to thirty in number. By personal work classes conducted by members, door knocking efforts and a gospel meeting under a large tent, many people were baptized into Christ. Next the congregation purchased the property at 4504 Forrester Road in McAlmont. A few months later the building was bricked and three years later eight classrooms were added. By 1972 the congregation had grown to over three hundred and built a four hundred-seat auditorium with classrooms and two offices. Two elders and four deacons were selected and a secretary was employed. On September 2, 1974, the McAlmont Church of Christ held its first Labor Day Lectureship. This was a mass approach for teaching many Christians and non-Christians. Over the years, this lectureship has attracted people from local congregations and also out of state participants. For six years the lectureships were held in the church building, but as attendance grew, the lectureship was moved to the North Little Rock Community Center, and in 1992 the lectureship was moved to the Robinson Center. On Sunday, October 3, 1982 the McAlmont church held its first worship service at its new location, 1824 East 46th Street, North Little Rock, AR 72117. Attendance for this first worship service was near 500 people. Johnie Lawrence worked with this congregation as its minister from the beginning until his retirement in 1996, following his health failure and heart surgery. In 1996, Charles Toney came to serve as minister of the congregation. He labored for some 2½ years until failing health finally took him away in 1998In January 1999, Loyd Clay Harris came to work with the church as evangelist. He brought some forty years of preaching experience and a ministry training school known across the country as the School of Religious Studies. During his tenure the church has moved into multimedia ministry and community involvement. In 1989, a multipurpose building was dedicated which housed a gym with kitchen, an office, classrooms, and nursery. On June 20, 1992, a home for foster children was added. The home is equipped to house up to eight children and the foster parents. And in 1999 an education building was completed. As a result of these changes, the classrooms in the multipurpose building were converted for offices and library for the School of Religious Studies. At the present time, the McAlmont congregation has a minister, an assistant minister, youth minister, four elders, nine deacons, a secretary and building and grounds personnel.